Embracing imperfections and well-worn natural beauty, this resale HDB flat by Insight.Out Studio is reborn as a calming retreat of nature and neutrals.
13 May 2024
Home Type: 5-room HDB flat
Floor Area: 1,23sqft
Text by Disa Tan
What happens when minimalism and rugged textures come together? As seen in the overhaul of this HDB flat, it produces a happy medium – a restrained style with a comfortable and relaxed feel. This was what the family of three living here specified from Roy Zhuang and his design team at Insight.Out Studio. Describing the homeowners who are married with one child as approachable and optimistic, Roy says: “They wanted to incorporate elements celebrating imperfections like asymmetry, rough textures and weathered materials, and designs showcasing the beauty of natural wear and ageing.”
To deliver the brief, he and the homeowners decided on a complete revamp, where nothing was kept from the previous setting. With a renovation budget of $95,000, Roy and his team took 10 weeks to execute a refreshed configuration where one of the prominent changes made was to the walkway area near the dining zone.
Rather than leave the walkway bare, they erected a full-height display shelf on the wall with grotto-shaped niches that soften the minimalist look. A breeze block divider was also built to subtly zone the walkway from the dining area, allowing light and ventilation to filter gently into the space.
Limewash paint has been deployed as the main wall treatment for most of the unit, and its sandy beige shade conjures a spacious backdrop for the open-plan communal spaces. This neutral-coloured canvas is a perfect complement to the the homeowners’ mix of loose furniture pieces bearing organic textures like rattan and wood.
Seeing that the home could do with more daylight, Roy introduced a glass window to look into the enclosed kitchen. It faces the foyer leading into the living area.
The cookspace is set in an L-shaped configuration and features Caesarstone countertops. Eliminating the usual tiled backsplash, Roy opted for a 150mm-tall skirting which is now installed along the countertop. This lends a more seamless aesthetic, which enhances the uncluttered visage of the limewash painted backdrop.
Roy and his team furnished the foyer with a custom-built shoe cabinet sporting tactile textures. The rough wood-look details and rattan-lined doors of the cabinet immediately communicate a sense of rustic beauty that sits well with the warmly minimalist theme.
The team brought the same cosy minimalist style into the balcony with a unique tiered planter design. Clad in curved layers of cushions and platform steps, the planter adds to the oasis-like atmosphere.
Continuing the laidback design language is the folding table mounted below the balcony window. Having a space-saving tabletop elevates this spot’s functionality and serves as a chill-out nook for the homeowners to soak up tranquil mornings with a cuppa. With all these calming touches and textures flourishing in a minimal setting, Insight.Out Studio has perfected the art of relaxed minimalism.
Insight.Out Studio
www.insightout-studio.com
www.facebook.com/helloinsightout
www.instagram.com/insight.out
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